1. The oath taken by Dumas was as follows: “I do acknowledge the Thirteen united States
of north america to be Free Sovereign and Independant States, and I do hereby Declare
and acknowledge myself a Subject of the Said States only, and that I will do nothing
prejudicial to the Freedom, Sovereignty and independence of the Said States but will
promote the Same by all lawfull means” (PCC, No. 101, f. 132).

Docno: ADMS-06-10-02-0238

Author: Adams, John

Recipient: Digges, Thomas

Recipient: Ross, Timothy D.

Date: 1780-12-17

To Thomas Digges

[dateline] 17th. Decr. 1780

I regularly recieve the Newspapers, but have not recieved the Books or Pamphlets of
any kind.

If a Majority of the People your Way think America still theirs, they are a Majority
of Ideots. They might as sensibly think Gascoigne and Guienne still theirs1—poor deluded Fools! how I pity them!

Sir Jo. Y. is pelting the Dutch with Memorials, in the Stile of Bernard's Speeches
and Hillsboroughs Letters.2 The Dutch hate War. They will not be Aggressors, but your Ministry have War in their
Hearts against Amsterdam, if not the whole Republick. The Ministry laboured to divide
the People of Boston from their Leaders, the People of Massachusetts from Boston,
and the other Colonies from Massachusetts, until they united all in one independent
Sovereignty, which will be an Example in Arms, Arts, Liberty and Glory, for the Admiration
and Envy of the rest of Mankind. They are now labouring to divide the People of Amsterdam
from the Regency, the other Cities of Holland from Amsterdam, and the other six Provinces
from Holland. That Ministry have no other Maxims of Government than Corruption and
Division: but they take their Measures so awkwardly, every where but in England, that
they produce Union. They will do so in this Case, and presently the 7 United Provinces
will be as independent as the 13 United States of America.

1. The provinces of Guienne and Gascogne formed Aquitaine, which had come under English
rule in the mid-12th century, but had been governed by France since the mid-15th century.

2. For an earlier comparison of Sir Joseph { 417 } Yorke and the British ministry to Bernard and Hillsborough in the same context, see
JA's letter of 16 Nov. to the president of Congress, and note 4 (No. 20, above).